Department for Transport

Large Goods Vehicle Drivers: Regulation

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks byBaroness Vere of Norbiton on 8 November (HL Deb col 588), what consideration they have given to delayingthe entry into force of the new provisions relating to theDrivers’ Hours, Tachographs, International Road Haulage and Licensing of Operators (Amendment) Regulations 2022 until (1) there is sufficient awareness of their provisions among UK operators, (2) the costs have been met, and (3) the question of supply has been addressed.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The implementation dates for the introduction of the smart 2 tachograph are the dates agreed in the UK/EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) and are applicable not only to UK operators undertaking journeys in Europe, but EU operators undertaking journeys in Europe and in the UK. Any delay would require the European Commission’s agreement to make changes to the TCA. It is the Government’s position not to reopen negotiations on the TCA.My Department will continue to engage with industry stakeholders to raise awareness of the implementation dates for installing the smart 2 tachograph into new vehicles from August 2023 and in older vehicles and light goods vehicles from 2024-26. In addition to raising awareness of the need for operators to cover the cost of installing a smart 2 tachograph in their vehicles if they want to continue to operate in Europe after these dates.On the question of supply of smart 2 tachographs, the UK Mission to the EU is in contact with the technical experts on tachographs in the European Commission to seek assurances on the availability of tachographs for UK operators. The European Commission has been assessing the situation and has not indicated concerns or that it will delay the deadline for implementation in Europe. We will continue to monitor the situation.

Large Goods Vehicles: Tachographs

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of awareness amongst UK operators of the requirement for new tachograph equipment in goods vehicles weighing more than 2.5 tonnes on international journeys.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Since May 2022, UK operators of goods vehicles weighing between 2.5 and 3.5 tonnes that will be used for hire and reward to transport goods between the UK and EU have needed an International Community operator licence. These are the same vehicles that will also need to install a smart tachograph 2 from 1 July 2026. My Department has not made an assessment of the level of awareness amongst UK operators of this future requirement at this stage but will ensure that affected operators are made aware of this new requirement in due course.

Large Goods Vehicle Drivers: Regulation

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask His Majesty's Government what mechanism theywill use to ensure that small operators are aware of the changes introduced under the Drivers' Hours, Tachographs, International Road Haulage and Licensing of Operators (Amendment) Regulations 2022.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Under the Drivers’ Hours, Tachographs, International Road Haulage and Licensing of Operators (Amendment) Regulations 2022, from 1 July 2026 operators of small goods vehicles (weighing between 2.5 and 3.5 tonnes), when used for hire and reward for international journeys into the EU, will be required to comply with the retained EU drivers’ hours regulations and install a smart tachograph 2. In advance of this date, my Department will continue to engage with industry stakeholders, including smaller operators, on the changes that will be required.

Iron and Steel

Baroness Redfern: To ask His Majesty's Government whether National Highways was aware of the origin of the steel used in projects last year; if not, why not; and what steps they plan to take to ensure that all projects undertaken or overseen by the Department for Transport set targets for minimum use of UK-made steel.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Between 80-90% of steel used on National Highways projects is UK-made.The Department for Transport does not plan to set targets for minimum use of UK-made steel but the Procurement Reform Bill, currently going through the House of Lords, seeks to make public procurement simpler and better able to meet the needs of this country, whilst still complying with our international obligations.

High Speed 2 Line

Lord Berkeley: To ask His Majesty's Government whether a report by HS2 deputy chair Sir Jon Thompson concluded that the costs for the first phase of the project will be “many billions more than the reported estimate”; and if so, what was the basis for their response to media reports on 15 October when they said that HS2 was “within budget".

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: We will not comment on the detail of leaked reports or on commercially sensitive matters. The Department reports transparently on the programme's status to Parliament every six months with the latest report published in October, including our assessment of cost pressures and deliverability. The last report made clear that Phase One from London to Birmingham remained on target to deliver within its budget.

High Speed 2 Line

Lord Berkeley: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made ofthe time taken for passengers to escape from an HS2 train door and step down onto the walkway in tunnels; what arrangements are made in the Safety Case for passengers with mobility impairment for such evacuation; and whether they will place a copy of any reports on this in the Library of the House.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Analysis has been undertaken by HS2 Ltd for a number of different tunnel evacuation scenarios. The critical time is the period for passengers to evacuate the incident train, onto the tunnel evacuation walkway and pass through a cross passage to a place of relative safety in the other tunnel bore.HS2 Ltd’s modelling estimates that:For a 200m long train carrying 550 passengers this is between 12 and 17 minutes depending on the location of the fire and the train stopping position.For a 400m long train carrying 1100 passenger this is between 14 and 24 minutes depending on the location of the fire and the train stopping position. For passengers with mobility impairment, the design of any evacuation ramps or devices carried onboard the train are fit for use by all passengers. Evacuation wheelchairs will be carried onboard the train to aid passengers with mobility impairment where necessary. In addition, onboard staff would facilitate any evacuation as necessary. HS2 Ltd has no plans to place copies of any reports relating to this subject in the Library of the House.

High Speed 2 Line

Lord Berkeley: To ask His Majesty's Government what is theheight above track for the emergency escape walkways in tunnels for Phase 1 of HS2.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: In general, the height of the evacuation walkway in HS2 tunnels is 760mm above top of rail. For some specific locations due to track gradient and drainage constraints there is some small variability in this figure.

High Speed 2 Line

Lord Berkeley: To ask His Majesty's Government what levels above track are planned (1) for the HS2 train floor levels at exit doors, (2) for new HS2 station platforms, and (3) at stations already in use by national train services.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: At the HS2 exit doors, deployable gap fillers extend from the train to provide step-free access. The deployable gap filler has a nominal height of 1135mm above top of rail. This height can vary between 1115mm and 1135mm depending on vehicle movements and loading condition. New HS2 station platforms are being built at 1115mm above top of rail. At existing stations visited by HS2 trains, the nominal platform height is 915mm above top of rail, but with variability due to local conditions.

High Speed 2 Line

Lord Berkeley: To ask His Majesty's Government what is the standard design speed on the main route of HS2 Phase 1; and what speed restrictionsplanned in each tunnel are due to their reduced diameter and the piston effect of the train.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The HS2 route alignment has been designed to enable operation at speeds up to 360km/h on main route north of the northern portal of the Chiltern Tunnel where the topography and other constraints permit a suitable track alignment to be constructed. Between Euston and the Chiltern Tunnel north portal, the design speed progressively increases to a maximum of 320km/h.There are no speed restrictions planned as a result of tunnel diameter or the piston effect of the train.

Blue Badge Scheme: Spain

Lord Bowness: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Vere of Norbiton on 28 October (HL2803), whether mutual recognition of disabled persons’ Blue Badges is a matter for individual Spanish local authorities.

Lord Bowness: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Vere of Norbiton on 18 July (HL1671), what consideration they have given to alternative solutions if a scheme of mutual recognition for the disabled persons blue parking badges with the government of Spain cannot be negotiated.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: It is for individual EU Member States to decide if they will recognise a Disabled Parking Card issued in another country. Mutual recognition of parking cards across countries is discretionary and not legally binding. In Spain, local authorities are responsible for parking card verification, therefore recognition of foreign issued parking cards is at their discretion. Recognition of the UK Blue Badge in Spain was discussed as part of wider negotiations on driving licence exchange with Spain, but this has not proved to be a workable approach. UK Government advice to disabled travellers has always been to check locally in the area of travel before parking.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Minimum Wage and Statutory Sick Pay

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government whether it is still their intention to update employment law to amend the rates for national minimum wages and statutory pay; and if so, when they intend to do so.

Lord Callanan: In March 2022, the Government published the Low Pay Commission’s remit asking them to make recommendations for minimum wage rates that should apply from April 2023. The Government will continue to consider the Low Pay Commission’s advice when setting wage floors in order to ensure that minimum wage rises are balanced between rewarding workers whilst minimising the impact on the economy and employers.

Geothermal Power

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask His Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of the possibility of geothermal energy providing part of future UK energy needs.

Lord Callanan: The most promising use of geothermal energy in the UK is for heat applications. The Government is supporting the North East Local Energy Partnership to commission a research report to provide an evidence-based assessment of existing and future geothermal potential for heat in the UK. This work is also part funded by the North East & Yorkshire Net Zero Hub. The British Geological Society will be undertaking this work with the engineering consultancy Arup. This builds on UKRI funding to develop the UK Geoenergy Observatories, which aim to inform how geoenergy can help to deliver clean economic growth.

Energy: Finance

Baroness Hayman: To ask His Majesty's Government how muchmoney was spent both commercially and domestically on energy in the UK in (1) 2019, (2) 2020, and (3) 2021; and what assessment they have made of the expected expenditure on energy in (a) 2022, and (b) in each subsequent year to 2030.

Lord Callanan: The value of expenditure on all UK energy, by sector, for 2019, 2020 and 2021, is published as part of the Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES) value balances. Statistics on energy expenditure for 2022 will be published in July 2023 and will reflect the support government has announced for both non-domestic and domestic energy consumers over the winter. For example, the Energy Price Guarantee will save the typical household around £700 on its energy bill over six months to March 2023. Over the longer-term, policies to improve energy efficiency and increase low carbon energy supply will help to reduce both the amount of energy consumed and exposure to volatile international fossil fuel prices.DUKES - value balances, traded energy (pdf, 114.3KB)

Department for Education

Special Educational Needs: Young People

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government whatsteps they are taking to support young people with additional support needs through transitions in their education.

Baroness Barran: Well-planned transitions are key to setting children and young people up for success. The department recognises the importance of children and young people being supported when they transition between different stages of their education, employment, or adult social care services.An important part of this is ensuring that all children and young people are prepared for adulthood, as is explained in the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) code of practice. All local authorities must set out the support available to help children and young people with SEND move into adulthood, as part of their local offer. The department expects activity to support effective preparation for adulthood to be embedded within education provision across every age and stage, starting as early as possible.For those with an education, health and care (EHC) plan, there must be a focus from year 9 onwards on preparing the young person for adulthood, as part of their plan’s annual review. This focus must continue until the young person’s EHC plan ceases.The department is currently exploring good practice on transitions, to provide consistent, timely, high-quality transition preparation for children and young people with SEND. This will ultimately look at transitions between all stages of education.To further help with preparation for adulthood, we are supporting the Department for Work and Pensions to develop an Adjustments Passport that will help to smooth the transition into employment and support people changing jobs, including people with SEND. The Adjustments Passport will capture the in-work support needs of the individual and empower them to have confident discussions about adjustments with employers.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Myanmar: Sanctions

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration theyhave given to the imposition of sanctions on the sale of aviation fuel to the military government in Myanmar.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Since the military coup in Myanmar on 1 February 2021, the UK Government has imposed 12 tranches of sanctions targeting the military's leadership, and its access to revenue, arms and military equipment.On 28 February 2022, the UK updated its Overseas Business Risk Guidance to make it clear that UK businesses should conduct thorough supply chain due diligence to ensure that commodities such as aviation fuel do not reach the Myanmar military. The UK is exploring both sanction and non-sanction measures to tackle the Myanmar military's air capabilities and ability to target civilians.

Myanmar: Sanctions

Baroness Nye: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken toimpose aviation fuel sanctions on the Burmese military following the most recent air attack by the Tatmadaw on a music festival that killed 80 and injured hundreds.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: In response to the Myanmar military's airstrikes in Kachin State, which killed a large number of innocent civilians, the British Embassy in Yangon joined a statement with the US, Canadian, Australian, EU, Norwegian and Swiss embassies to condemn the attacks.The UK is exploring both sanction and non-sanction measures to tackle the Myanmar military's air capabilities and ability to target civilians. On 28 February 2022, the UK updated its Overseas Business Risk Guidance to make it clear that UK businesses should conduct thorough supply chain due diligence to ensure that commodities such as aviation fuel do not reach the Myanmar military.Since the military coup in Myanmar on 1 February 2021, the UK Government has imposed 12 tranches of sanctions targeting the military's leadership, and its access to revenue, arms and military equipment.

Myanmar: Refugees

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage Myanmar'sneighbours to allow free passage for refugees fleeing the war.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK has consistently raised the challenges of regional refugee flows and the importance of full, safe and unhindered humanitarian access at the United Nations Security Council, including in a Council meeting in September. The former Minister for Asia raised the humanitarian assistance challenges in the border areas with Myanmar with Thailand's Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, when she visited Thailand in January.This financial year the UK has provided £36 million in humanitarian aid to Myanmar for the most vulnerable people including those on the borders with Bangladesh, China, India and Thailand.

Xinjiang: Forced Labour

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the resolutionadopted by the European Parliament on 9 June on the human rights situation in Xinjiang; and, in particular, the call “to propose an import ban on all products produced by forced labour and on products produced by all Chinese companies listed as exploiting forced labour”, and to implement “an ambitious corporate sustainability due diligence directive”.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are aware of the resolution passed by the European Parliament on 9 June regarding the human rights situation in Xinjiang. We continue to closely monitor the evidence of widespread human rights violations in Xinjiang, including forced labour, and in response have taken robust action. Over the last year we have provided new guidance to UK companies on the risks of doing business in Xinjiang, introduced enhanced export controls, and committed to introduce financial penalties for organisations that do not comply with modern slavery reporting requirements. The Procurement Bill will further strengthen the ability of public sector bodies to disqualify suppliers from bidding for contracts where they have a history of misconduct, including forced labour or modern slavery. We continue to keep our policy response under review.

Myanmar: Politics and Government

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they are having with the exiled National Unity Government of Myanmar; and what consideration they have given, if any, to formally recognising the National Unity Government of Myanmar as the legitimate government of that country.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK has a longstanding policy and practice, held by successive Governments, of according recognition to States, not Governments. Nevertheless, the UK is clear in our condemnation of the coup and stands in solidarity with those calling for a return to democracy, including the National Unity Government (NUG). The former Minister for Asia met with the NUG's Foreign Minister in March, and the NUG's Minister for Health and Education in May. UK officials continue to engage with the NUG on a regular basis and have worked to amplify their voice on the international stage, including at the UN Security Council.

Uyghurs: Thailand

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what support they are providing to the government of Thailand to help the situation of refugees, particularlyUyghur refugees facing the risk of refoulement.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is committed to upholding the principle of non-refoulement and has repeatedly called on other countries to respect their obligations not to force persons to return to a country where there are substantial grounds for believing they would be in danger of being subjected to torture.We have raised the detention of Uyghurs in Thailand directly with the Thai authorities at both Ministerial and official level, and continue to work closely with likeminded partners on the issue.We continue to urge Thailand, as a State Party to the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment of or Punishment, not to undertake the refoulement of these individuals to China.

Uyghurs: Thailand

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Thailand regarding over 50Uyghur refugees who have been in detention for close to 10 years in that country.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is committed to upholding the principle of non-refoulement and has repeatedly called on other countries to respect their obligations not to force persons to return to a country where there are substantial grounds for believing they would be in danger of being subjected to torture.We have raised the detention of Uyghurs in Thailand directly with the Thai authorities at both Ministerial and official level, and continue to work closely with likeminded partners on the issue.We continue to urge Thailand, as a State Party to the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment of or Punishment, not to undertake the refoulement of these individuals to China.

Development Aid: Cost Effectiveness

Lord Patten: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the value for money provided by global multilateral organisations in receipt of funds from the Official Development Assistance budget.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The value for money and performance of multilateral organisations receiving Official Development Assistance (ODA) is continually assessed in FCDO annual reviews and business cases, as well as by the independent Multilateral Organisation Performance Assessment Network (MOPAN), which the UK is a member of. Multilateral ODA offers value for money by providing economies of scale and leveraging private sector investment. The UK's funding to multilateral organisations was reviewed for alignment to UK objectives and organisational effectiveness through the Multilateral Development Review (MDR) in 2016. The Independent Commission for Aid Impact also independently scrutinises the impact of UK ODA to multilaterals, for example reviews of 'The UK support to the World Bank's International Development Association' and 'Tackling fraud in UK aid through multilateral organisations' were completed this year.

Sudan: Humanitarian Aid

Baroness Goudie: To ask His Majesty's Government what humanitarian support they have provided to combat violence against women and girls in Sudan.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK continues to call for sexual and gender-based violence against women and girls in Sudan to end. We have raised our concerns at human rights violations in international fora such as the UN Human Rights Council and Security Council, and directly with the Sudanese authorities. The UK has also provided significant support to the Sudanese led-movement to end female genital mutilation (FGM). Working with UN partners at the community level in Sudan, the UK has helped to change behaviours towards FGM by facilitating community dialogue, working with religious leaders and providing training for medical professionals.

Developing Countries: Weather

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask His Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of the economic cost to the world’s poorest countries from periods of extremely hot weather.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UN IPCC's Working Group II report on the vulnerability of socio-economic and natural systems to climate change provides a stark assessment on the impacts of climate change. Findings show that impacts are worse than previously predicted and current efforts to adapt are insufficient. The UK is fully committed to supporting countries' efforts to adapt to these impacts, including through our International Climate Finance (ICF), which this government has pledged to double to £11.6 billion.

Ministry of Defence

HMS Bristol

Lord West of Spithead: To ask His Majesty's Government what is the current status of HMS Bristol; and what plans they have for the future of HMS Bristol.

Baroness Goldie: HMS Bristol was decommissioned in 2020 and the process for disposal is still under consideration.

Russia: Unmanned Air Vehicles

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of the capability of Unmanned Aircraft Vehicles (UAVs) provided to Russia by Iran; and what steps they are taking to help Ukrainians defend themselves from Russian UAV attacks.

Baroness Goldie: Russia has attacked civilian infrastructure in Ukraine with one-way, long-range unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), supplied by the Government of Iran. Such action is illegal under international law. The use of Iranian drones is also further evidence of Russia's increasing reliance on others to sustain the campaign and how far it has depleted its own equipment stocks.Bolstering Ukraine's air defences has been and remains a priority for UK military support. To date, the UK has provided a variety of air defence systems and missiles and will shortly complete the delivery of almost 1,000 additional short-range anti-aircraft missiles to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The missiles will play a vital role in the provision of air defence for Ukraine and the protection of its critical infrastructure.

Lynx Helicopters: North Sea

Lord Goddard of Stockport: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of basing Royal Navy Lynx Wildcat helicopters on the east coast to reduce flight times to Critical National Infrastructure in the North Sea and environs.

Baroness Goldie: Royal Navy assets are based at locations where they can be logistically supported and are at their most agile. The Wildcat Maritime Force, which is based at the Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, is one of a range of assets held at high readiness that could be deployed by the Royal Navy to respond to any threat in UK waters.

Patrol Craft: North Sea

Lord Goddard of Stockport: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of enhancing River-Class Offshore Patrol Vessels to protect Critical National Infrastructure in the North Sea and environs.

Baroness Goldie: The Royal Navy constantly assess the optimal mix of platforms and capabilities required to deliver its outputs, including Homeland defence and underwater and seabed infrastructure protection. The Royal Navy's Offshore Patrol Vessels safeguard our territorial waters, protect fishing stocks and perform constabulary duties both in UK waters and overseas. They are not currently assessed as the optimal means of protecting our underwater and seabed infrastructure, but we keep this under constant review.The Government have accelerated the acquisition of two Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance ships in order to protect Critical National Infrastructure such as subsea cables and pipelines.

Autonomous Weapons: Ethics

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the International Committee of the Red Cross ICRC on autonomous weapons systems published on 12 May 2021, in particular the statement that "in light of ethical considerations to safeguard humanity and to uphold International Humanitarian Law, rules for the protection of civilians and combatants hors de combat, the use of autonomous weapons systems to target human beings should be ruled out"; and what assessment they have made of systems that identify people as targets based on (1) biometrics, and (2) perceived (a) gender, (b) race, and (c) age.

Baroness Goldie: As we embed our Artificial Intelligence (AI) policy frameworks we will continue working with external stakeholders (including the International Committee of the Red Cross and our independent AI Ethics Advisory Panel) to ensure our approach reflects best practice and complies with our obligations. Systems that are designed to identify people as targets based on only biometrics, and perceived gender, race, and age are very unlikely to comply with the requirements of International Humanitarian Law.

Patrol Craft

Lord Goddard of Stockport: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase the number of River-class patrol vessels.

Baroness Goldie: There are currently no plans to increase the number of River-class Offshore Patrol Vessels. The National Shipbuilding Strategy sets out the pipeline of future Royal Navy procurements.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Water Voles: Conservation

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the water vole population in England.

Lord Benyon: The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 makes it an offence to kill, injure or take water vole as well as to damage places of shelter or disturb the species while occupying such places. Where proposed operations may put water voles or their habitat at risk, it is necessary for a licence to be obtained from Natural England before those operations can proceed. Natural England assesses any applications it receives to ensure that licences are granted only where the impacts will not threaten the local conservation status of the species. Additionally, Natural England is developing a pilot Species Conservation Strategy for water voles in East Anglia. Enacted by the Environment Act 2021, Species Conservation strategies will identify the most important actions to protect and improve the conservation status of threatened species and enable the regulatory approach to fit the strategic priorities for the species.

Biofuels

Lord Randall of Uxbridge: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take in the Biomass Strategy to ensure that energy crops do not create competition with food production on high quality agricultural land.

Lord Benyon: Land availability is a key consideration of any future role for domestic biomass production. The Food Strategy, published in June 2022, commits to publishing a land use framework for England in 2023 which will set out land-use change principles to ensure food security is balanced alongside climate, environment and infrastructure outcomes. We are seeking to deliver as much as we can on our limited supply of land, to meet the full range of HM Government commitments through multifunctional landscapes.

Dairy Farming: Methane

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask His Majesty's Government what support they plan to give to the dairy industry to develop the capture of methane from slurry and convert it into tractor fuel.

Lord Benyon: Investing in proper slurry storage is a critical step livestock farmers need to take to make best use of their organic nutrients and prevent pollution. Defra has committed to launch a new Slurry Infrastructure Grant this autumn. The grant will help livestock farmers already using a slurry system to upgrade their slurry storage, to reach six months storage capacity and to cover grant funded stores with impermeable covers. We want to adapt the slurry grant offer over time to ensure that any public funding for better slurry management supports adoption of innovative treatments and circular use of slurry such as methane capture for energy and fuel.

Agriculture: Renewable Energy

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask His Majesty's Government what support they are giving to farmers to help develop renewable energy businesses on their land alongside their farming interests.

Lord Benyon: The Net Zero Strategy sets out a clear vision for a sustained increase in deployment of renewable generation capacity in the 2020s and beyond. In addition, The British Energy Security Strategy set out a series of bold commitments to support and accelerate this as part of a decisive shift away from expensive fossil fuels. HM Government recognises the need to preserve our most productive arable farmland as best as possible. The National Planning Policy Framework sets out clearly that local planning authorities should consider all the benefits of the best and most versatile agricultural land, when making plans or taking decisions on new development proposals. Where significant development of agricultural land is shown to be necessary, planning authorities should seek to use poorer quality land in preference to that of a higher quality. On farm, the Farming Investment Fund (FIF) seeks to encourage farmers in the use of technologies with improved energy-use efficiency and use of renewable energy as part of its large grants offering (the Transformation Fund). Defra is also exploring renewable energy sources such as capturing methane on farm for use as biogas and green fuels for farm machinery, supporting further research into innovative new technologies. Protecting our environment, backing British farmers and delivering long-term energy security with more renewables are at the heart of the Government’s manifesto. That’s why we will be looking at the frameworks for regulation, innovation and investment so we can continue to support farmers and land managers to make decisions and continue to manage our land to produce high welfare and high-quality food, protect the environment and biodiversity, and contribute to achieving net zero emissions by 2050.

Agriculture: South of England

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) thesoil moisture deficit in the South of England, and (2) the effect that is having on arable farm production.

Lord Benyon: The Environment Agency regularly monitors and reports on soil moisture deficit (a measure of how dry soils are) within its water situation reports:Water situation: national monthly reports for England 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) (1) Soil moisture deficit is assessed on a weekly basis to track the recovery of soil moisture from the hot and particularly dry conditions earlier this summer. The latest assessment for the week ending 25 October 2022 for the southeast indicates that soil moisture deficits are now improving with the wetter conditions. This means that rainfall will start to penetrate and recharge the abnormally low groundwater levels developed through the drought conditions. However, it will still require above average rainfall this winter for groundwater and reservoir stocks in the southeast to fully recover. (2) We are aware of the concerns around the dry conditions and lack of moisture in soil for autumn drilling, although rainfall was welcomed in September and October which has aided with the establishment of oilseed rape and the drilling of winter cereals. We are keeping the situation under close review, including through the UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group (UKAMMG), which was set up by Defra and the Devolved Administrations to monitor the United Kingdom’s market situation across all key agricultural commodities. We have also recently increased our engagement with industry to supplement our analysis with real-time intelligence.

Home Office

Detention Centres: Manston

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they (1) have taken, and (2) will take, to make conditions at the Manston Immigration Processing Centre fit for purpose.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: The facility at Manston provides suitable welfare provisions including hot food, fresh clothing, toilet facilities, sanitary packs and medical care. It provides for all the basic needs of people who will have arrived tired, cold, in wet clothing and who may not have eaten during their journey.As the situation and needs at Manston have changed, the Home Office and its contractors have continued to innovate to meet those changing needs. Additional marquees have been erected, additional medical personnel have been contracted and improvements have been made to the catering provided. We will continue to innovate to provide for the basic needs of those in our care and to ensure the safety of everyone at Manston as a priority.

Asylum: Applications

Lord Empey: To ask His Majesty's Government how manyapplications for asylum were processed in the last 12 months; and what were the determinations arrived at.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the Immigration Statistics Quartlerly Release, which can be found on gov.uk. Data on initial decisions on asylum applications are published in table Asy_D02 of the ‘asylum and resettlement detailed datasets’ which can be found on gov.uk and attached as Annex A. Information on how to use the datasets can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates to the year ending June 2022. Data for July 2022 to the end of September 2022 is set to be published on 24 November 2022.Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’ section on gov.uk.Annex A (xlsx, 8854.9KB)

Undocumented Migrants: English Channel

Lord Rosser: To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of how many individuals have died attempting to cross the English Channel in small boats in each month since January 2018.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: The Home Office is aware of a total of 42 persons known to have died while attempting Channel crossings in small boats since January 2018:August 2019 – 2 deaths reportedOctober 2019 – 2 death reportedAugust 2020 – 1 death reportedOctober 2020 – 5 deaths reportedFebruary 2021 – 1 death reportedAugust 2021 – 1 death reportedNovember 2021 – 29 deaths reportedJanuary 2022 – 1 death reported

Migrant Workers: Seasonal Workers

Lord Rose of Monewden: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of theTemporary Worker Seasonal Worker visa; and what plans they have, if any, to revise the scheme.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: The Home Office keeps all aspects of the Seasonal Worker route under close and ongoing review. There are no current plans to make substantive revisions to this route.

Asylum: Applications

Lord Empey: To ask His Majesty's Government what stepsthey are taking to process the backlog of applications for asylum in the UK.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: The Home Office are currently dealing with a sustained high level of new asylum claims, including from those who have recently arrived on small boats, which is creating additional pressures on the asylum system.The Home Office have an asylum transformation programme which will help bring down the backlog in cases by increasing the number of decision makers processing cases, improving the use of digital technology, including remote interviews, to speed up the process and concentrating on deciding older claims, cases with acute vulnerability and those in receipt of the greatest level of support, including Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children.

Freedom of Expression

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the apology from the Metropolitan Police to the Christian preacher Ms Hatun Tash on 29 September for her wrongful arrest, whether they will instruct police forces to uphold freedom of speech in instances where they receive complaints that offence has been caused.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: This Government is committed to upholding freedom of expression and legislation is in place to protect this fundamental right.However, we do not comment on individual cases, and decisions on arrests are a matter for the police.

Asylum: Applications

Lord Empey: To ask His Majesty's Government how many applicationsfor asylum in the UK they are processing each month; and what assessment they have made of the time that will be required to clear the backlog.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: The Home Office is unable to report how many applications for asylum are being processed each month as this information is not recorded and held in a reportable format. However, we do publish data on the percentage of asylum applications processed within 6 months of the date of claim and can be found at Immigration and protection data at gov.uk.The Asylum Transformation programme aims to bring the asylum system back into balance and modernise it.It is focused on increasing productivity in deciding asylum claims by streamlining, simplifying and digitising the system to speed up processes and increase efficiency and output.

Visas: Aviation

Viscount Waverley: To ask His Majesty's Government what is their approach to air passengers who have had their flight cancelled but do not hold a valid visa to remain or re-enter the UK.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: Border Force have processes for decontrolling passengers whose outbound flight has failed to leave for some reason. It depends on whether the flight has left UK airspace and if they should be classified an International arrival.Passengers will be treated either as International arrival and subject to the entry process as such i.e. on merit or secondly if their flight did not leave UK airspace and they are not subject to home office checks and have been securely segregated from any other international arrivals they do not need to be checked through the PCP and can enter the UK.Any passengers in transit will be treated as an arriving passenger and again each case will be treated on its own merits.

Undocumented Migrants: English Channel

Lord Empey: To ask His Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of the response by the government of France to migrants crossing the English Channel.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: The UK maintains regular contact with the Government of France on our joint cooperation to tackle illegal migration at the shared border. The UK has committed several funding packages to support this work, including a bilateral arrangement which was reached between the UK and France on 20 July 2021.Last year’s investment saw the French doubling the numbers of officers patrolling beaches. Our partnership with France has helped stop over 29,000 illegal crossings since the start of the year - almost twice the number at this stage last year.The work of the UK-France Joint Intelligence Cell has supported more than 500 arrests and dismantled 55 organised crime groups since it was established in July 2020.We remain committed to supporting the French through our joint response which we recognise requires long term and ambitious action. We continue to strengthen our productive and constructive relationship with the French Government to respond to new challenges.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Local Government: Heating

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussionsthey have had with local authorities to facilitate warm banks, given the increased cost of living and the need for winter preparedness.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: Ministerial meetings with external organisations are published on GOV.UKWe have taken decisive action through our Energy Bill Guarantee Scheme and Energy Bill Relief Scheme, to ensure that domestic and non-domestic energy users across the United Kingdom are protected from excessively high energy bills. The Local Government Financial Settlement for 2022/ 2023 makes available an extra £3.7 billion to councils in England, the majority of which is un-ringfenced allowing council to determine local priorities. We have also made available £1.4 billion through the household support fund. Decisions on provision of warms spaces are taken at a local level.Officials are in constant contact with counterparts in local government about a range of issues.

Fire and Rescue Services: Finance

Lord Goddard of Stockport: To ask His Majesty's Government how they intend to address inequalitiesin Fire Authority budgets in (1) the Fair Funding Review, and (2) the 2023/24 Local Government Finance Settlement, to ensure funding is fairly distributed on the basis of (a) local levels of deprivation and need, and (b) rates of price inflation and wage inflation.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The Government is committed to ensuring funding allocations are based on an up-to-date assessment of councils’ needs and resources. We will always work with local partners, including Fire and Rescue Authorities, to take stock of the challenges and opportunities they face as part of any potential reforms to local authority funding.

Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland Office: Ministers

Lord Rogan: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase the number of ministers in the Northern Ireland Office in the absence of a Northern Ireland Executive.

Lord Caine: The UK Government has no plans to increase the number of ministers in the Northern Ireland Office in the absence of a Northern Ireland Executive.

Northern Ireland Assembly: Elections

Lord Rogan: To ask His Majesty's Government what is the estimated cost of holding new Assembly elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Lord Caine: The maximum amount that can be recovered by the Chief Electoral Officer in relation to the costs of an Assembly election is currently £4.4m and this is set out in The Northern Ireland Assembly Elections (Charges Order) 2022. This does not include the costs of candidates' free election mailings which is difficult to estimate as it depends on the number of candidates and the take up of mailings by candidates.The Government plans to uprate the existing charges order and bring a new one into force in advance of the next Assembly election.The Chief Constable of the Police Service for NI (PSNI) has said that he estimates the cost for a future Assembly election for the PSNI to be in the region of £670,000.